


Someone To Take The Fall

by star_is_sad



Series: Canon Divergent FairGame [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Ass-Kicking, Blood and Violence, Canon Rewrite, Clover Ebi Deserved Better, Depressed Qrow Branwen, Flashbacks, Guilt, Harriet kicking ass, M/M, Mentioned Summer Rose (RWBY), Prison, Qrow Branwen Needs a Hug, Qrow Branwen-centric, Qrow gets his ass beat, Spoilers for V8C4, Spoilers: Volume 8 (RWBY), Survivor Guilt, V8C4 Rewrite, Volume 8 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star_is_sad/pseuds/star_is_sad
Summary: Consumed by guilt, Qrow takes the punishment Harriet has deemed him worthy of after the death of Clover.V8C4 rewrite. Spoilers for this episode.
Relationships: Past Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen & Harriet Bree, Qrow Branwen & Robyn Hill, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, past Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose
Series: Canon Divergent FairGame [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048222
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	Someone To Take The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Bit of a darker and more angsty fic. I think I just like making Qrow hurt at this point. I promise I would actually like to see him happy.

“I’m sorry for what happened.” 

That voice tore Qrow out of his thoughts. He hadn't realised how much time had passed in silence till Robyn had spoken up. He slowly lifted his gaze from Clover pin to the woman who now stood looking back at him. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” She continued which only made Qrow look away. He wished he could believe that. He wished it wasn't a lie. He wished things had ended differently. 

“It was though.” He replied, voice small. “ _ I _ made a deal with the darkness, and  _ he _ paid the price.” 

It should have been himself. Clover should still be standing here, he would be standing here if it wasn't for him. 

“It was all happening so fast, but Clover wouldn't let up.” It hurt to say his name out loud. It felt wrong, as if saying his name would bring him back, would reverse what he’d done. “We could have worked against Tyrian if Clover just-” Qrow cut himself off, there was no use in blaming the dead. This wasn’t Clovers fault. 

“But the thing that really stings, for the first time in a while, I thought maybe, maybe I could be around somebody… anybody.” He thought Clover could have been the one. The one who he could be happy around, truly happy. He thought Clover could have been the one that  _ survived _ being around him, but not even Clover’s semblance could stop that. 

“Without my semblance making it complicated.” Qrow continued, feeling his vision become blurry with tears as he gazed back to the pin once more. “And now, it just feels like a childish dream. Gone, like everybody else.” 

_ Gone like Summer. _

He clenched his eyes shut as that thought passed through his brain, hand clamping around the metal pin, hard enough that he felt the edges dig into his palm. 

Robyn opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by the whirring of the main door opening. The two guards from before dragged Watts back to his cell, followed by two members of the Ace-Ops.

Qrow felt a tightness in his chest as he saw them, sensing the inevitable confrontation. He quickly averted his gaze as Harriet’s scowl locked on him, quickly wiping his eyes of the tears that threatened to fall. He could hear the clink of shoes on the floor slowly approach him and he looked up again, seeing Harriet glower at him.

“I didn’t kill him.” Qrow told her, though his voice was broken enough that it was barely above a whisper.

“You keep saying that.” Harriet started, hands clenched into fists at her sides. “But I don’t want to hear it. It was your weapon covered in his blood, he’d be alive if it wasn't for you.” She spat out harshly, hand coming up to punch at the hard-light cell to make Qrow flinch. Her eyes glowed with rage and anger, and Qrow just lowered his gaze in shame.

He heard the sounds behind him of Watts getting back up to his feet and the cell reactivating. 

“Come on, Harriet.” Marrow spoke, the two guards leaving the room first. He started to head for the door before stopping as he saw Harriet had no intention to move. 

“Go.” She commanded, eyes not moving from Qrow. “I’m not done yet.” Her voice was dangerous and low, Qrow didn’t like the sound of that. 

“Hare.” Marrow said warningly, but Harriet’s head only snapped to the side, delivering a deadly scowl to the Faunus, one that quickly sent him out of the room too. Once the door to the collection of cells was shut and locked, Harriet typed a long code to the cell, the shield dropping long enough for her to step inside. 

Everyone was deadly silent, tension thick in the air. Robyn, Jacques and Watts watched intently, not knowing what was going to happen next, though they had a good idea. Qrow, however, just kept his gaze on the floor, unable to bring himself to look up at the women standing before him. 

Without warning, a hard punch across his face sent Qrow off of the bench and down to his hands and knees on the floor. 

Clover’s pin fell from his grip, skidding across the floor till coming to a stop as it collided with the hard-light wall. A shaky breath left Qrow’s mouth as he wildly looked around for the discarded pin, eyes falling upon it the same time as Harriet’s. 

“You don’t get to keep that.” She spoke, walking over to the object before picking it up. 

“Hey!” Robyn spoke up from her cell, not willing to see Qrow get hurt for something he didn't do. He was already punishing himself enough. “He didn't kill him. Take my hand and you’ll see.” She spoke firmly. 

“I didn’t come here to shake hands.” Harriet returned, tucking the pin safely into her pocket, her eyes not leaving the man on the ground. 

“Because you don’t care about the truth. You just want somebody to blame. Someone to punish.” Harriet tried her best to ignore the other woman as she stalked back to Qrow once more. “Easier than taking an honest look at what side you’re on.” She did pause then, hesitated for a brief moment, but only a moment. 

With a growl of anger, Harriet sent a hard and swift kick into Qrow’s gut, a grunt of pain leaving his mouth as he was knocked off of his hands and knees onto his side. Robyn watched helplessly as Qrow simply took the punishment, not even attempting to activate his aura.

“Qrow, don’t let her do this.” Robyn spoke through the cell to him though he just blocked her out, as did Harriet. With a quick flourish of her hands, the device strapped to Harriet’s back came alive, extending down her arms and to her fists. She had every intention of making this hurt. 

The Ace Operative roughly grabbed the back of Qrow’s shirt, yanking him over to the bench and pushed him back against it. Harriet looked over the man with a disgusted expression, fury radiating through her being. Not wasting any more time, with one hand she clutched the front of Qrow’s shirt and with the other she swung, her fist connected with the huntsman’s jaw. 

Qrow head snapped to the side, a groan of pain leaving his mouth. That was a lot harder than the first, and he was sure that was down to the other’s weapons. Harriet didn't relent, the second punch coming a moment later, then another, and another. It had not taken long for the familiar taste of blood to appear in Qrow’s mouth, and even then he made no attempt to fight back, no attempt to activate his aura. 

One particularly firm punch connected with his nose, turning it into a bloody waterfall down his face. He could hear Robyn shouting from her cell, though couldn't make out what was being said through the ringing of his ears. 

As Harriet paused for a moment, Qrow’s head lolled to the side weakly. The huntress watched this, with her free hand she grasped Qrow’s chin, forcefully making him look back to her.

“Don’t think I’m done with you yet.” She hissed, letting go of him before pulling back her arm once more and swinging at the prone man. 

_ “Summer, please.”  _ A voice echoed in his head,  _ his _ voice from a long time ago.  _ “Don't go.” _

He fell back onto the floor with a thud, his vision blurring. Next came a swift kick to his ribs.

_ “She’s not coming back, Tai!”  _ His voice echoed again. 

Qrow gasped, it was getting harder to breathe. He coughed, blood managing to escape his lips. His head rested against the cold floor, the room becoming too dizzy to lift it. Another kick, this time to his gut.

_ “I wanted to trust you!”  _ Came another voice this time; Clovers.

A cry of pain slipped out of his mouth, tears welling in his eyes. He deserved this. This was his punishment. 

“Tell me.” Harriet spoke from above him, voice low. “What were his final words?” She asked. Qrow registered the question, even in his disorientated state. It took a few seconds to summon the strength to speak, but he finally did.

“Someone… had to take the fall.” He rasped out. His head still rested on the floor, his gaze distant as tears slipped down his cheeks. Harriet face twisted at the statement. She approached Qrow again, this time crouching down beside him. 

“It should have been you.” She growled, voice full of venom. Then she slowly stood, taking a final look at the mess she’d left of the man before exiting the cell. She locked it, ignoring Robyn’s colourful insults as she left. 

“I know.” Qrow replied, his voice broken.

He remained still, crumpled in a heap on the floor. Silent tears slipped down his face and onto the floor. Once Harriet had left the room, it fell silent again, the only sounds being Qrow’s laboured breathing.

Robyn didn't know what to say. She couldn't check on him, make sure Qrow was alright. Jacques looked on, a shocked expression still on his face. And Watts, wearing an amused smirk as he simmered back down onto the bench again.

“Well that was certainly entertaining.” He drawled, earning a glare from the Happy Huntress. Bickering started up once more, all the while Qrow remained where he was, blocking out the commotion. 

  
Even now, he felt nothing. He hoped he’d feel something, anything from the punishment he just took. The worst thing was he still felt hollow. Empty.  _ Alone.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Any and all comments and kudos are appreciated <3


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